I ride my bike the same way i drive my car. I expect drivers to do the stupidest thing possible, and i try not to get in anyone's way. its probably not necessary, but so far its paid off quite well. Driving a small car (a miata) i don't expect anyone else to see me- same philosophy on a bike.

I just moved to a new area (baton rouge) and I hope that my philosophy pays off as well as it did in my last 3 locations (auburn, AL; san marcos, TX; and austin, TX). new places always require one to be extra vigilant in safety, especially when there are few shoulders to be found in the area, until you find the general demeanor of most drivers.